Renate and I went to see the Nile Project perform at Princeton. She had been feeling under the weather for a few days. As we walked around Princeton before the show she felt tired a little nauseous. A few days later we decided to do a pregnancy test.

December 29, 2015 9:30pm. Marc turns 14 minutes old

From 8:40pm to 9:20pm or so was a blur, but later Dr. Gardner said Marc was born at 9:16pm, and we have no reason to not believe him. This makes Marc about 14 minutes old here.

December 30, 2015. Meeting Oma und Opa

Oma Elfriede and Opa Edwin came to visit Marc at the hospital the next day. Бабушка Ира and дедушка Сережа also stopped by, but Irina had a cold and to not risk getting us sick they only stayed a very short time and we did not take any pictures.

December 31, 2015. First time in a car

After we were discharged, we took a cab home. Marc slept in the bassinet.

December 31, 2016. First time in his own bed

Marc is sporting an NYU Langone beanie and a blanket knitted by Shorey. The white rabbit was a present from Oma und Opa, and the bear from uncle Peter. Some days or weeks later Marc discovered that he could cuddle up to the rabbit's soft belly. Seven months later he learned that he could make the bear sing "Schlaf Kindlein, Schlaf" by pulling on the cord.

January 1, 2016 - First walk

The next day after getting home from the hospital we bundled Marc up, left Renate to rest and went on a walk around our block with grandfather Sergei and grandmother Irina. Irina took the picture.

January 3, 2016. First time in дедушка's arms

Sergei and Irina were afraid they might be contagious, so it took a little work to convince Sergei to take off his face mask for this picture.

January 3, 2016. First family portrait

January 4, 2016. First time in бабушка's arms

Finally at six days Marc has met all of his grandparents.

January 11, 2016. First time meeting great grandmother Karina

Karina and Irina visited us in Brooklyn. Irina stayed for a month and helped take care of Marc.

January 13, 2016. First book

Irina gave Marc a few black and white board books that he really liked.

January 14, 2016. First letter

Social security card arrived in less than three weeks

January 24, 2016. First bath

We got a hand-me-down baby bath tub from Hicham, Aelfie, and Mirah a few weeks before Marc was born, but didn't try it out until he was about four weeks old.

February 11, 2016. First bottle

A few weeks after Marc was born Renate started a weekly exercise class in Manhattan on Thursday nights. This was the first time Marc tried the bottle. He liked it, had his meal and promptly went to sleep, at which point I had a beer and sighed a sigh of relief. I was later told that it was a rookie mistake to wait to have a beer until after Marc was asleep.

February 23, 2016. First time holding a toy

Irina gave us this rattle on her first visit. It made a very melodious mellow sound. (Picture by Renate)

March 18, 2016. First passport

That was easy!

April 13, 2016. First time meeting papa after work

Renate and Marc surprised me as I was coming out of the 7th Avenue subway station.

April 15, 2016. First time in Central Park

We took a cab to the Austrian Embassy in Manhattan to apply for Austrian citizenship for Marc and stopped by the park before Renate and Marc went home, and I hopped on a bus to work.

April 18, 2016. First time in an airplane

We flew to San Francisco to visit grandparents

April 23, 2016. Marc meets uncle Petz

By a lucky coincidence Renate's brother Peter was in the Bay Area for work at the same time as us.

April 29, 2016. First teeth

When we arrived in San Francisco we found that Marc's grown his first two teeth. I'm writing this in Bischofshofen. It is now early August, and there are three new upper teeth, with the fourth one coming any day.

May 22, 2016. First subway ride

We went to see the Brooklyn Bridge Park. Marc stayed awake through the subway ride, fell asleep as we were coming out of the subway, and then woke up as we got on the train to go home. Funny thing - first subway ride was about a month after first plane ride.

May 22, 2016. First painting

May 22, 2016. First painting. I bought some children's hand paint to make a card for Renate's first Mother's day (which was on May 8) and immediately proceeded to get the whole family sick with stomach flu. Card-making was postponed. Marc didn't mind the painting at first, but by the time we got to red, he decided he really didn't like it.

June 24, 2016. First time at a Zoo

We went to Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn and saw sea lions, peacocks and pigs. We also met a goat.

July 27, 2016. First trans-Atlantic flight

We're going to Switzerland to the wedding of Stefan and Manu. Stefan is Renate's brother. They've been together for fourteen years and they have a two and a half year old daughter Sofie. On the flight I slept and Renate took care of Marc (who also mostly slept).

July 29, 2016. Marc meets cousin Sofie

They met on Münsterhof in Zurich some half an hour before Sofie's parents got married in Zunfthaus zur Waag.

July 31, 2016. First road trip

On Sunday after the wedding Renate, her parents, Marc and myself drove from Zürich to Bischofshofen, Austria (in the Pongau province). The trip took us about 6 hours and even crossed into Germany for some miles.

August 1, 2016. First time in Renate's childhood room

Renate's family moved into this house when Renate was 10. She has lived in this room until she left for college at 18. Renate and her brothers Stefan and Peter slept in this crib bed. (The first time really was the day before, but we didn't take a picture)

August 4, 2016. Marc meets cousins Kilian and Matea

We visited Renate's cousins near Schloss Goldegg. Matea let Marc ride around in her car.